A Vegan...Challenge...?

The interaction most people have with vegans, is bad. People telling you "what you are eating, and how you are the demise of the animal population".

And then I decided I want to try to be vegan. Gasp!!

I love animals more than people, yet I still eat some of them. But I don't like to be judge-y!

I was raised by a vegetarian,  my Momma grew up on a farm. Her stories were sad, but it never occurred to me, until me and my cousin were playing with two giant turkeys in our playhouse, and then...they were gone, and there were two huge turkey's on the dinner table for Thanksgiving. I was about 8, and that was the first time I refused to eat anything that I can remember.  I didn't eat meat for many years, but around adolescence, I started to eat it again.

The past 15 years or so, I've only eaten dairy, chicken, and turkey. With a once in a blue moon craving of a hamburger, or a Momma's meatloaf tossed in.

I've seen a billion sad documentaries about factory farming and I fast forwarded thru the horrible parts, even though, I knew deep down what really happens

This past weekend, I watched a lovely little documentary called "Vegucated". Which, by the name I thought would only be about the healthy side of being vegan.

Well, it still had the sad side of factory farming, and while I skipped most of the horrible parts,  I never in my 37 years thought about cows being forced to be pregnant constantly to produce milk, and having their babies taken away after birth, and the horrible lives they must live. I thought they just produced milk. Seeing their babies taken away from them was heartbreaking!

 I am so against puppy mills, having adopted a puppy mill stud, and seeing how traumatized he is..I can't imagine the fate of the Mother's. For me... factory farming is the same thing with farm animals. And if I don't support it with domestic pets I shouldn't support it any way.

It broke my heart to see those babies torn from their mothers, and I wanted to make a small change, if only with myself!

I don't expect to change anyone's point of view. That's not me.  I am one person, making one decision, and if statistics serve right, I alone can save 95 animals a year by being vegan. So why not try?

For 6 weeks, I am going to try to be strictly vegan. I am hoping that I can keep it up, or at least replace 50% of my chicken/turkey/dairy intake with vegan options , even if I decide being strict 100% of the time, isn't for me. I want to make at least a small change.

My biggest fear, is that most "vegan protein" options are processed. And I do not want to fall back into eating processed foods, so my challenge is even harder. Oh, and the fact that I am 100% in love with cheese. I am really going to miss....cheese more than I miss pizza. And sour cream. And cream cheese. And eggs. But I know, there are great alternatives, that I am going to try.

On a lighter note, my Mr. Magoo is loving my "vegan purge" as he is getting to partake in all the meats I still have in my house.

I smell chicken!!!

Juicing My Way to Health...

"Mean Green Juice"

 I have been on a Netflix documentary kick latley. I've run out of scary movies to watch, so... why not?

I watched this movie, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" last weekend, and it inspired me to start juicing!

I am not going to go on a "juice diet" like he does in the movie, because it is just not for me. Knowing that just as diets don't work for me, neither would the absence of chewing and swallowing food work for me in the quest of losing my final 15lbs. 

But the more movies I watch about food, the more they inspire me to eat even more healthy. And that is my goal!


I have been partaking in the mean green, as featured in the film, and I have to say...I feel fabulous! The first day I honestly felt like I had a few glasses of wine, I felt fab-yooo-licious!!

There are a bunch of ways to get on board to "rebooting" your system at the website for the movie. (you can also watch the full length movie for free here)

I'm opting for eating breakfast as usual, (egg beaters, turkey bacon, and a carb - whole wheat toast or an english muffin) and having a mean green juice for my two snacks during the day, and having my regular healthy lunch, and dinner. Weight loss would be a plus, but I'm mainly looking to see how my energy level, and overall sense of well being changes.

So far, I have felt as though I am having too much caffeine. sort of jittery..I have cut out my morning coffee, so this is interesting!

I'll keep posted about how I feel after adding in all these new nutrients each day!!

Want the recipe?

1 cucumber
2 green apples
piece of ginger (to taste)
4 celery stalks
6 kale leaves
1/2 a lemon

I didn't think it was bad at all, but I let a few co-workers try it and they were not on board. But they also are not healthy eaters. It's a bit sweet, but mostly it's "green".

Do you juice?